Chapter 13: A Taxonomy of Bad Judges

[In law school we're taught that a judge's rulings are based on The Law, an external body of rules and precedents that judges discern and apply through a rigorous process of reasoning faithfully documented in their opinions.  The earnest young lawyer's efforts are geared toward influencing that process.  This chapter breaks the news that sometimes a judge's decisions are reached through an entirely different process.  Sometimes, the judge's decisions say more about the judge's interior life than about the law.]

The hometowning judge is common as dirt, as he's only one variety of bad judge.  There are many others.  It's entirely predictable that young lawyers will encounter every variety, but law schools don't prepare their students for any of them.

[The categories included in this chapter are: The Lush; The Cliche Master; The Lazybones; The Bully; The Retiree; The Federal Magistrate (all-too-often a sub-category of the retired-in-place judge; see Judging Crimes, post 393); The Old Fool; The Control Freak; The Genius.  See Judging Crimes, post 317, for more about The Genius.]